12/9/2016 12:30 AM PST BY TMZ STAFF

Chris Paul is super happy that his friend, Kobe Bryant, just had his 3rd baby girl -- but he has a message for the NBA legend ... "Keep going 'til you get a boy!"

"Kobe deserves to have a little boy, man" ... the Clippers superstar added.

We're guessing CP3 wants Kobe to experience the same father/son basketball bond he shares with his kid (it's adorable) ... and let's be honest, everyone would LOVE to see another Bryant in the NBA one day!

For the record, Kobe already has a kid with the family hoops skills -- his 10-year-old daughter, Gianna, is rumored to have a LIGHTS OUT jumper.

12/8/2016 11:04 AM PST BY TMZ STAFF

Kobe Bryant has another three-peat under his belt ... 'cause his wife, Vanessa, has given birth to the couple's third child ... TMZ Sports has learned.

The Bryants announced some time ago they were expecting another little girl ... and we've confirmed the bouncing baby mamba was born this week in the OC.

Of course, 38-year-old Bryant has a lot of time to play daddy now ... he's retired from the Lakers and committed himself to more important life pursuits ... like ridding the family home of pesky intruders.

12/7/2016 3:59 PM PST BY TMZ STAFF

EXCLUSIVE

Knicks guard Brandon Jennings says the team is fully aware LeBron James will try to punish the team for Phil Jackson's "posse" comment in Wednesday night's game -- but he has a message for the King to hear ...

WE AIN'T NEVA SCUURRRED!!!!

TMZ Sports spoke to Brandon ... whose Knicks are playing pretty well ... and asked him if the team is ready for a potentially angry LeBron to show up at Madison Square Garden tonight.

Why would Bron be mad? This is the first meeting of the teams since Knicks Prez Phil Jackson referred to Bron's business team as a "posse" ... offending Bron in the process.

Jennings -- who's getting the start tonight with Derrick Rose out -- says the squad knows LeBron is motivated ... but they're ready for it all.

12/7/2016 2:58 PM PST BY TMZ STAFF

Matt Barnes and DeMarcus Cousins have just been SUED over the nightclub brawl at Avenue in NYC this week ... with the alleged victims claiming they were brutalized by the NBA stars.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... the Sacramento Kings teammates were involved in a violent altercation with two people at the VIP booth next to them around 3 AM on Dec. 5.

According to the lawsuit filed in NYC, Jasmine Besiso and Myrone Powell claim they were innocently hanging out when Barnes approached Jasmine and began to choke her.

In the suit, Powell says he saw the attack and tried to intervene but that's when Cousins stepped in and punched him in the face.

At that point, Barnes allegedly released Jasmine's neck and elbowed her in the face -- knocking her unconscious. Myrone claims he was taken to the ground and Barnes and Cousins proceeded to kick and punch him in the head and body.

The NYPD was called to the scene but Barnes and Cousins had left by the time they arrived.

A rep for the alleged victims calls the incident a "vicious and unprovoked attack" And says Cousins' initial blow was a "blindside punch."

The rep also says the two were transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital where they were treated for "serious injuries."

A rep for Barnes has previously told us that the NBA stars were the real victims -- who were attacked by the other clubgoers over an accidental bump in the VIP section.

TMZ Sports obtained video of Barnes and Cousins in the moments after the fight -- rehashing their version of what happened inside.

12/6/2016 7:40 AM PST BY TMZ STAFF

NBA great Gary Payton says there's no doubt that the league is a little more Charmin then it was when he was in it ... but says that's a GOOD thing, cause it makes the game a lot safer for kids.

We got the Glove out at Catch in L.A. and asked him about some comments he'd made on Twitter earlier this year about the state of the game ... basically that he couldn't play in this ticky tack foul era.

That's when Payton got into it ... saying the game is a lot more exposed now, and you have to keep things clean if you don't want young players Draymond Green-ing each other in the nuts.

12/5/2016 7:05 AM PST BY TMZ STAFF

EXCLUSIVE

Doc Rivers knows he crossed a line when he LOST HIS MIND on an NBA ref Tuesday night -- saying plain and simple ... he shouldn't have acted that way.

The outburst went viral -- Clippers players had to restrain Doc from going after ref Ken Mauer when he was issued a technical foul for talking to another ref during the 1st overtime period against the Nets.

"Yeah, you don't act like that," Doc told us at Catch in West Hollywood this weekend ... "You should get thrown out for that."

12/5/2016 4:30 AM PST BY TMZ STAFF

EXCLUSIVE

Sacramento Kings ﻿star ﻿Matt Barnes ﻿is wanted by NYPD for questioning after he allegedly choked a woman inside a nightclub early Monday morning -- and TMZ Sports ﻿got video of him right after the incident.

Law enforcement sources tell us cops got a 911 call to Avenue Nightclub after midnight, reporting a man assaulting 2 women and another man. We're told things got physical when Barnes allegedly choked one woman during an argument -- and when 2 other people tried to intervene ... he punched both of them.

In the video, Matt and his teammate, DeMarcus Cousins, are talking about the fight. Cousins is clearly heard saying, "I hit hit the s*** out this ni***!"

Barnes fled the scene before cops showed up. The Kings were in town to play the Knicks on Sunday. They lost.